Living Japan #7: How to be a Tokyoite (A Non-exhaustive List)

3. Run towards the closing train door (there’s a word for this : kakekomi-josha).

4. Squeeze into the fully packed subway.

5. Fit all of your stuffs in your 20 m2 “cat’s forehead” apartment. Have a try at minimalism and fail.

6. Curse the snow for delaying the trains, drenching the streets, and making the pedestrian way slippery; its beauty isn’t worth it!

7. Line up for an hour or two for a scoop of ice cream at that newly open shop, or a seat at that new Michelin-starred restaurant.

8. Don’t greet your neighbor. Don’t knock on their door to say hello when you’ve just moved in. Avoid sharing an elevator with them.

9. If you bump into someone on your way, give the quickest glance and say sumimasen as quickly as possible with a straight face. This is the best way to handle this inconvenient situation. Don’t stop to say sorry and smile.

10. Actually, don’t smile at all.

11. In winter time, wear a mask, literally and figuratively. Protect yourself from the cold, protect other people from catching your cold, protect yourself from pollen, and protect your makeup. It’s a must in workdays.